From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Education Finance Apportionment Systems in the United States

This research investigates state finance policies for public elementary and secondary education using survey methodology. The purpose is to update the existing knowledge base in the field as well as to provide a compendium of finance and policy options that are being used across the states to finance school for lawmakers, educators and others. Chief state school officers or their designee were queried; data were provided for all 50 states and posted on the web for verification. The data showed that states continue to use funding policies developed in the past but they are implementing weighted apportionment systems and other mechanisms that recognize the differential costs of students and districts. This research provides new knowledge about state apportionment policies for K-12 education, special student populations, capital outlay and transportation systems.